Body talk in the digital age : A controlled evaluation of a classroom-based intervention to reduce appearance commentary and improve body image
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This research evaluates the efficacy of a classroom-based intervention – Body Talk in the Digital Age (BTIDA) – in reducing adolescents’ appearance commentary and improving body image. British adolescents ( N = 314; Age Range = 12–14) were cluster randomised to intervention or waiting-list control groups. Measures of appearance commentary, appearance ideal internalisation, self-objectification and body satisfaction were completed at baseline (T1), then one-week (T2) and eight-week (T3) post-intervention. Multi-level modelling showed girls who received BTIDA reported less appearance commentary engagement and thin ideal internalisation at T2 and T3, than the control, supporting the partial efficacy of BTIDA for girls. No intervention effects were found among boys.
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A single-session classroom-based intervention utilizing cognitive dissonance techniques and social media literacy skills found improved thin ideal internalization one week after the intervention, an effect sustained to the 8-week follow-up, among girls but not boys.
“Another single-session classroom-based intervention utilizing cognitive dissonance techniques and SM literacy skills found improved thin ideal internalization one week after the intervention, an effect sustained to the 8-week follow-up, among girls but not boys (Bell et al., 2021).”
From The Perfect Storm: A Developmental-Sociocultural Framework for the Role of Social Media in Adolescent Girls' Body Image Concerns and Mental Health. (2022) · cites this paper as Bell et al., 2021
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“Another single-session classroom-based intervention utilizing cognitive dissonance techniques and SM literacy skills found improved thin ideal internalization one week after the intervention, an effect sustained to the 8-week follow-up, among girls but not boys (Bell et al., 2021).”
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- Authors
- Bell, B. T., Taylor, C., Paddock, D. L., Bates, A., & Orange, S. T.
- Affiliations
- York St John University (GB)
- Sheffield Hallam University (GB)
- Newcastle University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Bell, Beth T
- Venue
- Health Psychology Open
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 20551029211018920-20551029211018920
- ISSN
- 2055-1029 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8165851
- OpenAlex
- W3166632591
- Cited by
- 12
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 1.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Health Psychology Open (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- SHURA (Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive) (Sheffield Hallam University) (acceptedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (submittedVersion)
- Research at York St John (York St John University) (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- York St John University (Impactful Research Fund)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- body image, classroom intervention, adolescents, self-objectification, body satisfaction, gender differences, thin ideal, social media
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